VeganMoFo VI: Top Shelf Ramen

Welcome to MoFo day one!  The first six days of this blog are going to be dedicated to eating on a budget.  I am swimming in receipts right now from shopping over the weekend, but the goal is to keep my food tab under $12.  I'll have little cost break downs and all that goodness.

There are only two rules for this: I can use whatever I have in my pantry already AND I have to up the cheap game.

So, I decided to start out with the brokest of broke ass meals...ramen.  This, especially, hits home for me because I used to live off of these things.  All I'm doing is adding a little love to it, in order to make a 20 cent soup into something my mom would be proud of.

The basics: As far as I know, Nissin Oriental flavor is the only accidentally vegan ramen if we're talking crusty grocery store packs.  I never use those flavor packets, though, because they have a ridic amount of sodium.  Instead I make my own broth.  It's a combo of sesame oil, garlic, ginger, crushed pepper, soy sauce, and vegetable base.

Ginger, garlic, pepper time!

The rest of the ramen comes together with stuff in my kitchen.  Here's a breakdown of what I used for my meal.

What I Had:
vegetable broth base
soy sauce
garlic
crushed red pepper
sesame oil
frozen mixed veggies

What I Bought (price based on amount used):
Tofu-$0.25
Ginger-$0.02
Cilantro-$0.10
Ramen-$0.20
Lime-$0.08

TOTAL MEAL COST: $0.65

This ain't yo mama's ramen

I said hot damn!  Veganism is soooo expensive, y'all!  Those suckas have no idea, do they?

Back to Blog. Back to Reality.

Howdy folks!  It's been an extremely long time since my last post, and I figured I'd give you an explanation before MoFo madness kicks off tomorrow.

2012 has been an interesting year for me.  Some really great stuff has happened.  I got a job after struggling with unemployment since I moved to California.  I also maintained a 4.0 at my school.  I am more connected now to a community than I have been for the 3.5 years I've lived in this valley.

Unfortunately, I've also been struggling with apathy and depression.  A few days after my previous post, I had to euthanize my dog, Gizmo.  I was dealing with the grief of losing my dog while trying to work and go to school full time.  I was also trying to make sure my other dog, Emma, didn't take it too hard.  In the midst of that, Era called me one day to say our niece had died in a car accident.  She was only 18, so it really hit all of us in a big way.

With everything that's been happening, I just could not dedicate time to blogging or much time to the internet at all.  However, I've missed it.  And I've missed you.  So, I just wanted to say that I'm so glad to be back.  I'll be participating in MoFo and hoping to catch up on all of your blogs.

This year, I'm going back to basics.  I'm doing theme weeks instead of days, which makes it easier for me.  Here's the tentative schedule for October:

October 1-6: $2 a Day (eating on a budget)
October 7-13: Breakfasts Around the World (all breakfast, all the time)
October 14-20: 7 Days of Parties (detailed party menus and plans)
October 21-27: My Vegan Timeline (revisiting my favorite vegan cookbooks)
October 28-31: Halloween (holiday creations)

See you tomorrow!

Game Day Texas Chili

So, in my last post I told you about the chili I had made.  Well, we liked it so much that I made it again the next week.  It's super good.  The spice can be tailored to your liking.  Aaand...it makes a ridick amount of food.  Great for having people over or great for freezing half.  Onto the good stuff...

This chili involves two extra things: ancho chile paste and chipotle puree.  However, you can always just add ancho chile powder and chipotle chile powder.  Don't ask me about measurements because I have no idea.  I like using the paste and puree because it adds a greater depth of flavor.

chili dog, son!

Texas Chili

(Serves 8-10)

gluten free

Perfect for Frito pie or chili dogs, this chili is seriously versatile.  Make the chile paste and puree first to streamline the process (unless you plan to just use chile powders).  Adjust the heat by adding or subtracting jalapenos (or leaving the seeds in) and changing the amount of red pepper flakes or cayenne.  As is, this has a nice kick.

2 cups TVP

2 cups boiling water

1 Tbsp canola oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 jalapenos, seeded and minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbsp Chipotle Puree (recipe below)

⅓ cup Ancho Chile Paste (recipe below)

2 tsp cumin

1 ½ tsp oregano

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

½ tsp cayenne pepper

¼ disk Mexican hot chocolate, grated

1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp salt, or to taste

28 oz can crushed tomatoes

2 cups vegetable broth

In a medium bowl, re-hydrate the TVP in the boiling water. Cover and set aside.

In a large stock pot, heat the canola oil over medium high heat. Saute the onion and jalapenos until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the Chipotle Puree, Ancho Chile Paste, cumin, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, cayenne, Mexican chocolate, cocoa powder, and salt. Stir for about 2 minutes. Add in the crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, and TVP. Bring to a boil, cover with a lid, and lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 25 minutes.

Serve with sour cream, cheese, red onions, and maybe even some guacamole.

Sweet and Spicy Variation: Up the Mexican hot chocolate to ½ disk.

spinach artichoke dip from last year's super bowl.  recipe coming later...

Chipotle Puree

Gluten free depending on brand

Soy free

1 can chipotles in adobo, any size

Take any sized can chipotles in adobo and blend until smooth.  Easy!  Spoon it into ice trays in 1 Tbsp increments and freeze for longer storage.

Ancho Chile Paste

Soy free

Gluten free

I use this in place of chile powder.  It has waaay more flavor.  Note: do not eat this with a spoon!  It's more comparable to tomato paste, because it's something that is used to flavor and the chile component is pretty concentrated and mildly bitter.

2 oz dried ancho chiles, seeded and stems removed

1 small garlic clove, minced

½ tsp cumin

¼ tsp Mexican oregano, crumbled

¼ tsp fine sea salt

¼ tsp sugar

½ cup vegetable broth

Torch the dried chiles in a pan over medium heat until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Watch them carefully so they do not burn. Empty the chiles into a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Let them soak for about 15 minutes.

Drain the chiles and place them in a blender or food processor along with the garlic, cumin, oregano, salt, sugar, and vegetable broth. Blend until completely smooth.